Singapore Food Festival 2017 – Top 7 Events All Foodies Must Go!
July 13, 2017
Singapore has been a top destination for foodies where eating is a time-honoured national pastime. Being a melting pot of different cultures, Singapore offers a whole spectrum of dining options ranging from deliciously affordable street food to modern, Michelin-starred haute cuisine.
Food is tied so closely to our identity of being Singaporean. I am always thinking about my next great meal. By now, you should have realized how much love I have for our local street food, which will always be so representative of our identity. Chicken rice, bak chor mee, roti prata, satay, chilli crab, rojak… it’s everywhere at the city’s bustling hawker centres. But every dish can tell stories of passions, struggles and of our heritage, and the depth of our expertise in traditional techniques and how welcoming Singapore’s chefs are of new culinary trends.
That’s right, the Singapore Food Festival (SFF) 2017 is back again! Taking place from 14 to 30 July, this year’s SFF pays tribute to all things Singaporean, featuring a delicious spread of both traditional and contemporary Singaporean flavours created by our home-grown culinary heroes. There are a variety of exciting programmes that celebrate our heritage and flavours, here are some of the exciting ones you should attend!
1. STREAT (14 – 15 July 2017)
STREAT is the signature event of SFF. This year, the pop-up restaurant will be helmed by Peranakan chef Malcolm Lee of Michelin-starred restaurant Candlenut, and Wild Rocket’s chef Willin Low, who is widely recognised as the founder of Mod-Sin cuisine. They will be serving a Mod-Sin and modern Peranakan Tok Panjang menu served communal-style.
Also, there are nine stalls helmed by young “hawkerpreneurs” and chefs, who will present a unique spin on quintessentially local dishes. Some of the participating vendors include New Ubin Seafood, Peranakan Khek and Whampoa Prawn Noodle. Keng Eng Kee and Good Chance Popiah will be there too!
2. Hawker Spotlight with Moses Lim (16 July)
Celebrating Singapore’s unique hawker culture, this year’s Hawker Spotlight is on Maxwell Food Centre. Local food connoisseur Moses Lim will host an on-site contest for the public, so that a select group of lucky winners will also get to join Moses on this tour. Some hawkers will share their stories and bring you on a behind-the-scenes look at how some of our hawker dishes are prepared.
3. The 50 Cents Fest: Those Years 那些年 (29 – 30 July 2017)
I spent my childhood days watching ge tai with my grandfather. During these traditional live stage performances, there was always a muah chee push cart selling glutinous rice balls coated with peanut and sugar. Grandpa and I would share a packet of muah chee together. Visiting the preview of The 50 Cents Fest by Chinatown Food Street had me relishing my memories of childhood.
On 29th and 30th July 2017, the entire Smith Street will turn old school, with nostalgic snacks and toys, games like fishing fountain and hopscotch. Not only can you enjoy hawker favourites such as muah chee, abacus seeds, rickshaw noodles, ah balling and more, you can also catch live Xin Yao performances. Best of all, prices start from just 50 cents, this has got to be my favourite event of SFF! For more details, check out www.chinatownfoodstreet.sg/the-50-cents-fest/
4. Kueh Pairing Workshop Series (15, 22, 23 July)
Nine layer kueh lapis is one of the kids’ favourite desserts. The most classic way of eating this kueh is to tear it out piece by piece, put into the mouth and chew it slowly. This July, kueh maker Rainbow Lapis has come up with a series of kueh pairing workshops. You can try pairing different kuehs with different teas, coffees and even alcoholic drinks for a refreshing experience.
I particularly enjoyed the kueh-inspired cocktail at Bar Stories. Bartender David taught us how to shake up special cocktail concoctions inspired by our very own local dessert – Kuehs. He is awesome at creating bespoke cocktails. Book your Kueh Pairing Workshop here: http://events.eventzilla.net/e/kueh-pairing-workshop-series-2017brtea–cocktail–coffee-2138909449
5. Open Stoves (28 – 30 July 2017)
Open Stoves at Timbre+ is back again for its second edition. Young and new-generation hawkers will be pairing up with restaurant chefs to create unique street food-inspired dishes. Collaboration dishes include Crispy Braised Duck Burger, a quintessential mod-sin burger by Chef Chung Deming (Kush) and Chef Melvin Chew (Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck); Hokkien Mee, French Bouillabaisse Broth Style and Fresh Seafood by Alexander Chong (Garcons Express) and Walter Tay (Father & Son); Vietnamese Pork Chop Fragrant Rice with Hainanese Curry by Chef Belinda Tay (Nam Nam Noodle Bar) and Chef Lim Jia Han (Hong Seng Curry Rice); and Prawn Paste Chicken Thigh with Spinach Noodles by Chef Kelly Wong (Wong Kee Noodles) and Chef Nicholas Teo (Pluck).
6. Singapore Restaurant Festival (1 July – 30 September 2017)
One of the best things about SFF is the variety of events and food on offer, and how both locals and visitors alike get to the taste the identity of Singapore through food. At the Singapore Restaurant Festival, there will be 12 heritage restaurants profiled, so there will be no lack of culinary master techniques and full-bodied Singaporean flavours showcased. The Singapore Restaurant Festival will run for three full months with more than 50 participating restaurant brands featuring Singapore-inspired dishes on their menus.
Participating heritage restaurants include Palm Beach, Jumbo Seafood, and many more. What’s the great deal? You can save up to 30% if you purchase the Singapore Restaurant Festival dining vouchers ($70 for $100 worth of vouchers) and use it for their meals at the participating restaurants. Vouchers can be purchased using DBS/POSB debit or credit cards at selected participating merchants island-wide. Visit https://www.singaporerestaurantfestival.com for more information.
7. Project Plait: Inheritance (20 – 22 July 2017)
Project Plait: Inheritance is a food-meets-dance collaboration between Jiakpalang’s executive chef Nixon Low and dancer-choreographer, Naomi Tan. Paying homage to our heritage, Jiakpalang Eating House will be converted to a live performance space where dancers will pair a 5-course modern Singaporean meal with their dance. Inspired by traditions close to heart, Naomi performs her own choreographed dance around food. As we ate that plate of modernised bak zhang from Jiakpalang, we watched how Naomi uses her movements to show transformation of tradition. Tickets can be purchased at www.projectplait.com
